We've reached that point with the Indians. While fans are quick to blame Manager Manny Acta for the worst month in franchise history that has blown this Indians' season out of the water, aren't the players even more culpable for this debacle?

Granted, this isn't the most talented roster in the major leagues -- not even close -- but 5-24 in August? Seriously?

No major-league team is that bad.

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This Indians team isn't that bad -- or shouldn't be.

Firing the manager in this instance would be such a cop-out, such a cliché reaction to what's happened that the front office would cheapen itself by taking such an easy way out.

If the company line is going to be "we're all in this together," that presumably includes the manager. Maybe you can't fire 25 players, but you can fire some of them.

Maybe some of the players should be more worried about that than thinking all this losing doesn't really matter because the manager isn't going to be here next year anyway.

That should be the message the front office should be sending to the players. The way to do that would be to give an unequivocal vote of confidence to Acta, and put the onus on the players. Because firing the manager excuses the players.

What typically happens in these situations is the manager gets fired because it's easy, it's convenient, it's what most teams do -- and the front office politely explains it to the public by saying the team has stopped responding to the manager's leadership.

That would be a defensible position if it was a wildly talented roster.

This Indians' roster? Please.

Roughly one-third of this Indians roster consists of marginal major-league players, at best. They aren't responding to the manager's leadership? Go get some new players. You don't abandon a manager because fringe major leaguers aren't responding to him.

Acta hasn't been perfect, but the sheer volume of losing -- 1-15, 5-24 -- hints at a lack of basic competitiveness that suggests this is a player problem more than a manager problem.

Date book

What's the significance of June 24?

That's the last day the Indians were in first place -- and the last day the Tigers won a one-run game on the road.

The Tigers last week lost three one-run games in Kansas City to drop their record in one-run games on the road to 6-11. The White Sox are 13-10 in one-run games on the road.

If the White Sox hold off the Tigers in the AL Central race, this might be the reason why.

Nothing from nothing

Tampa Bay lost four 1-0 games in August, the first AL team to do that since the 1955 White Sox. The Rays actually lost those four 1-0 games in the span of 22 games.

The Rays were also shut out six times in August.

Washington diplomats

Reporters were waiting to get into Nationals manager Davey Johnson's office after a loss last Sunday, when they heard Johnson shouting at somebody in his office, "Why don't you come down here and manage this team?"

A Washington PR person promptly ushered reporters away from the door. It was later revealed the object of Johnson's verbal blast was Nats GM Mike Rizzo.

Two days later, upon seeing reporters waiting for him on the field prior to a game, Johnson walked out of the dugout with Rizzo and put his boss in a mock headlock.

"It was two passionate baseball guys that give a darn," said Rizzo of the heated exchange. "That's how we do things. We get things in the open. There's great communication between the two of us, and there's a high level of respect."

"Normal business as usual," Johnson said. "I admire Mike because he can get it right out. I kind of keep it in. But he gets it out and it's over with. I wish I could do that -- vent and it's over. But his points were well taken."

Ouch!

In the public relations debacle of the season, the Twins placed Joe Mauer on waivers Tuesday, one day before Bud Selig arrived to award Minnesota the 2014 All-Star Game.

Say it ain't so, Joe!

Most teams put all of their rosters through waivers in late August. It isn't a big deal to executives of teams, but when word leaked the Twins put hometown hero Mauer through waivers, it created a Twin Cities firestorm.

Mauer is in the second year of an eight-year, $184 million contract that pays him $23 million per year every year through 2018. That in itself would make it almost impossible to trade Mauer, but just in case, his contract includes a complete no-trade clause.

"From my understanding of the whole thing, it won't be the first time or the last time I will be put on trade waivers, so it is part of the game and I was a little surprised how much coverage and how many questions I was asked about it," Mauer said.

No-run Rollins

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel benched Jimmy Rollins in the seventh inning Thursday when he trotted to first base after hitting a popup that fell in safely and should have resulted in Rollins being at second had he run hard.

It's not the first time this has happened. In 2008, Rollins was twice benched for failing to hustle and showing up late. Just two weeks ago in Miami, Manuel spoke to him after he failed to run out a grounder and later made only the feeblest attempt to break up a double play.

What makes this more galling for the Phillies is Rollins is in the first season of a three-year contract extension and, as the longest-tenured player on the team, some of the younger players look up to him.

"I've got two rules: Be on time and hustle," said Manuel.

Asked if he was worried this casual approach could rub off on the other players, Manuel admitted that was a concern.

"If this keeps up, I can see where this could affect them, yeah I do," he said. "It's up to me to back up what I say."

Medlen is 5-0 with an 0.66 ERA in six starts since moving from the bullpen.

The Braves have won 17 consecutive starts by Medlen dating to 2010, before his Tommy John surgery. It's the most consecutive wins for any team in one pitcher's starts since St. Louis won 17 straight Chris Carpenter starts in 2005.

The team is 20-4 in 24 career starts by Medlen, who has gone 11-2 with a 3.27 ERA in that time.

Information for this column was gathered by personal interviews and from other beat writers around the league. Ingraham can be reached via email at:

1. I don't have any stats to back this up, but my gut tells me Ubaldo Jimenez has to lead the majors in 30-pitch innings. I'm no pitching coach, but I don't think that's very good.

2. If I'm the Indians, this is a little worrisome: Jason Kipnis' batting averages by month: .295 in May, .267 in June, .250 in July, .186 in August.

3. The Indians went into Saturday's game with a run differential of minus-154. This will almost certainly be the most they have been outscored by their opponents for a full season since they were outscored by 183 runs in their franchise-record 105-loss 1991 season.